SUMMARY
JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. More prays in anguish in the garden and his disciples fail their test.
ANALYSIS
The final chapters of Mark’s Gospel narrate the tragic unraveling of support for Jesus. Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus appeared to be a popular person with crowds following after him along with his chosen group of disciples. Though there was always conflict, Jesus seemed to hold the upperhand. The actions leading up to his arrest, however, show the lack of sincerity among his admirers.
The unraveling began in earnest with Jesus’ prediction that one of his followers would betray him, followed by his prediction of the disciples’ desertion. The scene in the garden of Gethsemane functions as an opportunity for the disciples to prove Jesus wrong and to live up to their boasting that they would die with Jesus (14:31). It is a test that they fail.
The garden shows the human side of both Jesus and his disciples. Jesus has predicted that he is about to undergo the most shameful death that his culture could imagine; in the face of this, he prays with terror and anguish. Despite his fear, Jesus’ prayer ends by placing his faith in his Father’s hands. The disciples, on the other hand, cannot even pray; in Jesus’ darkest hour, they fallThe Fall refers specifically to the disobedience of Adam and Eve when they listened to Satan rather than adhering to God's command not to eat the fruit from the tree. When people act contrary to God's will, they are said to fall from from grace... More asleep. His sarcastic comment at the end of their time in the garden betrays his disappointment at PeterPeter (also known as Cephas, Simon Peter) was the disciple who denied Jesus during his trial but later became a leader in proclaiming Jesus. More, James, and John (14:41). The inclusion of this detail by Mark is another piece of evidence of his support for PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities. More who sometimes found himself in conflict with these three “pillars” of the early Christian community.
